From: "Loela Barry" To: "Loela Barry" Subject: Update on Roelof - Liver Cancer Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 23:11:52 -0500 Dear family, friends and colleagues, The past month have been very tiring emotionally and physically. After we had our first 'transplant call' about 5 weeks ago, Roelof had to go in for liver tests. The Liver Center in Houston found something which looked like a tumor or scar tissue in Roelof's liver. Since then Roelof had to undergo numerous medical tests so they could make 100% sure what they saw. We have transferred to St.Luke's Episcopal Hospital Liver Center in Houston at the Medical Center, as well. Today we met with our surgeon to receive the results....... I am sad to say that Roelof has a cancerous tumor, cholangiocarcinoma, in the right lobe of his liver. Praise God, the good thing is, that it is an intra-hepatic tumor and they can still do a liver transplant before it grows to big. We were facing the possibility of the tumor being in the bile ducts outside the liver for which there could be no transplant and thus only months for survival. But being an internal tumor there is HOPE!!! We are now at a critical stage......Roelof needs to get a transplant ASAP. Due to the serious condition the Liver Team at St. Luke's will send in a petition to the Transplant Board Committee to place Roelof at the top of the Transplant List. Hopefully we will know by the end of the week whether they have approved the petition. If the petition is approved Roelof will get a liver much faster, which is vitally important now. We can only praise our dear Lord for providing a chance of getting a transplant. Roelof is very positive and spiritually very strong. What an example. We have set up a Blood Donation Account at the Red Cross in College Station. Roelof will need about 5 gallons of blood during the transplant. Knowing some of our friends in other states would like to donate blood, you need to go to your nearest Red Cross Center and tell them an account has been set up with the Red Cross in College Station, TX. For every pint of blood donated he will get a pint credit. You don't need to be the same blood group. Our dear friends from all over the globe here in College Station are standing together to have a Liver Transplant Benefit to help raise the funds necessary for the liver transplant and all that is involved. For more information regarding the International Tastes Benefit on Saturday 13th September please see the following: http://loelasstudio.com/Benefit.pdf For those who would like to know what the specific prayer needs are: 1 - That the Liver Transplant Committee will approve the petition to place Roelof at the top of the Transplant List. 2 - That the cancer tumor will not grow bigger or spread to other parts of his body. 3 - That a perfect liver will be available ASAP. 4 - That the Benefit will be successful and well attended. Thank you to all the people who care so much and who are so willing to help us in every way. I have been a little slow getting all the thank you cards out to those who made donations so graciously. Thank you so much! God bless. Loela